Community Health Network

About Indianapolis

Indianapolis is the capital of Indiana and the 12th largest city in the U.S. The ten-county metropolitan area is home to over 1.5 million residents. The Indianapolis area was the second fastest growing major metropolitan area in the Midwest in the 1990s, outpacing the average growth throughout the region and the nation.

Indy is easy to get to. Referred to as the “Crossroads of America,” Indianapolis is intersected by more interstates than any other metro area. More than half the nation’s population lives within a day’s drive of Indianapolis. Indianapolis International Airport is the largest privately managed airport in the United States. Just 12 minutes from downtown, it is served by 18 airlines.

Indy is a great place to live and work. Indianapolis is consistently ranked nationally among the best places to live. Housing costs are among the lowest of all major metropolitan areas, while household income is among the highest. Not only is the cost of living index less than the national average, so is the unemployment rate.

Attractions and culture

There’s plenty to do in Indy. The city is home to the Indianapolis Children's Museum, the largest children’s museum in the world. Also in the downtown area is the White River State Park, which is home to the Indianapolis Zoo, an IMAX Theater and the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indian and Western Art. Other outstanding museums, including the Indianapolis Museum of Art, attract visitors from across the country.

The world-class Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra performs at its downtown home the Hilbert Circle Theatre from September to June as well as at Conner Prairie on Indianapolis’ north side every summer for the very popular Symphony on the Prairie series. Along with the Indianapolis Opera, the Butler Ballet, the Indianapolis Repertory Theatre, the Indianapolis Civic Theatre, and more than 150 other arts groups, the city offers a variety of art and cultural events to enjoy.

Sports

Indianapolis is "the Amateur Sports Capital of the World" and is an important center for both professional and amateur sports. The city has hosted over 250 national and international sporting events, including the Pan Am Games, NCAA Final Four, PGA Golf Championship, RCA Tennis Championship, Circle City Classic and the nation's largest half-marathon. The Indiana University Natatorium is a world-class swimming and diving facility and frequent host of major events such as the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships and the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials. The Major Taylor Velodrome, a championship bicycle-racing track, is a favorite of cycling enthusiasts. Indy also is the home of the NCAA Headquarters and Hall of Champions.

The Indianapolis Colts' Peyton Manning and Dwight Freeney battle NFL rivals on Sundays in Indianapolis's newest sports center, Lucas Oil Stadium. The NBA’s Indiana Pacers, and the WNBA’s Indiana Fever play at the spectacular Conseco Fieldhouse. The AAA baseball team Indianapolis Indians and USHL hockey team Indiana Ice call Indy home as well.

And Indianapolis is home to the three largest single-day sporting events in the world, NASCAR’s Brickyard 400, the Formula One U.S. Grand Prix, and of course, each year on Memorial Day weekend, "the Greatest Spectacle in Racing," the Indianapolis 500.

More online guides to Indianapolis

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